Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department |
The Asian longhorned tick is similar to native ticks but is known to live on a host in clusters. It is seen mostly as a threat to livestock since being discovered in Pennsylvania.

New tick found in Pennsylvania is drawing plenty of attention

The Asian longhorned tick was discovered in Centre County. It's seen mostly as a threat to livestock in our state.

About the tick

What: The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis.

About: The invasive species congregates in large numbers and can cause anemia in livestock. It is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle in Asia. So far, ticks examined in the U.S. do not carry any infectious pathogens.

Description: The species has distinctive horns that may not be visible without a microscope. The Asian tick infests host animals in dense clusters of numerous ticks.

Reproduction: Female Asian ticks reproduce asexually, so a single tick can reproduce and lay 2,000 eggs after feeding on a host. Cattle, pets, small mammals, birds and humans are all potential hosts.

Quotable: “Scientists don't yet know how this species will adapt to the North American climate and animal hosts, but we know it survived New Jersey's winter and has infested sheep and cattle in this region,” said Dr. David Wolfgang, state veterinarian.

Prevention: Examine animals on a regular basis. Check for ticks after being outside to prevent tick bites and disease transmission. Livestock producers and pet owners should consult their veterinarians to develop tick prevention and control appropriate to their specific animals.

There's a new tick, native to Asia, on the scene in Pennsylvania that could become a threat to livestock.

Pennsylvania is already known as the nation's hot spot for ticks.

In 2016, the Keystone State was the Lyme disease leader in the U.S., with about 38 percent of the country's Lyme reports that year and over 12,000 cases overall, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And now, there's a new tick on the scene in Pennsylvania and a few other states that's drawing plenty of attention.

Late last month, tests by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed the presence of an Asian longhorned tick in Pennsylvania. The tick was discovered on a wild deer in Centre County.

In Asia, the tick is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle. It also carries a virus that can be fatal in humans.

The good news is that none of the longhorned ticks in the U.S. has been found to carry an infectious pathogen, said Dr. Debra Powell, chief of the infectious diseases section and medical director for infection prevention at Reading Hospital.

Through her work at the hospital, Powell is always on the lookout for reports of new insects and diseases that are making their way from other parts of the world to the U.S.

The Asian longhorned tick is just the latest species to catch her attention.

"With this tick, it's always good to know there are new species coming in and to be aware," she said. "I'm pleased to see the CDC is studying it. At this point, we're not seeing it transmitting anything that would affect humans."

About the longhorned tick

State Agriculture and Health Department officials said it can be hard to distinguish the Asian longhorned tick from other tick species, such as the rabbit tick. Its distinctive horns may not be visible without a microscope.

In the U.S, the longhorned tick may not impact humans but it could be a great threat to livestock, Powell said. Female ticks can reproduce and lay as many as 2,000 eggs after feeding on a host.

Gorging on a host to that degree could mean a lot of blood loss for a cow or another animals, she said. Cattle, pets, small mammals, birds and humans could all serve as potential hosts.

"At this point, we don't see it as a threat to people," Powell said. "It is a threat to livestock."

In China, the tick is noteworthy for carrying severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome or SFTS. The virus has a case fatality rate between 10 and 30 percent, according to a CDC study.

Powell said the tick's disease-carrying capacity in the U.S. could evolve over time, but that remains to be seen. It's unclear how the tick got here in the first place, she added.

U.S. researchers have their hands on enough of the longhorned ticks that they can study them in a lab to determine what kinds of diseases they may be able to transmit in the U.S.

"We'll see if it actually transmits anything we have here," she said. "Knowledge is the most important thing when there's a new species that we have to evaluate."

Prevention

While the longhorned tick may not yet have a disease profile in the U.S., it still provides a good chance to talk about prevention, Powell said.

More patients are developing health-related problems that stem from tick bites. Lyme disease and Babesia are both on the rise in the region, she said.

Using insect repellent is a good move for prevention, she said. Wearing long sleeves and pants when heading into a wooded area makes sense, too.

Lyme-carrying ticks can't transmit the disease to humans unless they are attached for more than 24 hours, Powell said. That's why it's a good idea to do a tick check for yourself, your children and your pets when you come in from the outdoors.

"It's not a couple hours," she said of developing Lyme disase from a tick bite. "It's over 24 hours. If you bring your children inside, make sure they don't have any ticks."

The Asian longhorned tick is just the latest invasive species to arrive in Pennsylvania. The spotted lanternfly, which made its arrival in Berks in 2014, is another example.

With the ease of transportation, the world can feel smaller than ever. Powell said she wouldn't be surprised if other species make their way to the U.S.

"Every year we have a new organism coming through," she said.

About the tick

What: The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis.

About: The invasive species congregates in large numbers and can cause anemia in livestock. It is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle in Asia. So far, ticks examined in the U.S. do not carry any infectious pathogens.

Description: The species has distinctive horns that may not be visible without a microscope. The Asian tick infests host animals in dense clusters of numerous ticks.

Reproduction: Female Asian ticks reproduce asexually, so a single tick can reproduce and lay 2,000 eggs after feeding on a host. Cattle, pets, small mammals, birds and humans are all potential hosts.

Quotable: “Scientists don't yet know how this species will adapt to the North American climate and animal hosts, but we know it survived New Jersey's winter and has infested sheep and cattle in this region,” said Dr. David Wolfgang, state veterinarian.

Prevention: Examine animals on a regular basis. Check for ticks after being outside to prevent tick bites and disease transmission. Livestock producers and pet owners should consult their veterinarians to develop tick prevention and control appropriate to their specific animals.